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Thursday, May 12, 2016

Soccer Memories-Part 31-Red Star Belgrade 1991: Yugoslavia’s Greatest on the eve of a National Collapse

Red
Star Belgrade 1991: Yugoslavia’s Greatest on the eve of a National Collapse

When
the 1990/91 season started, Red Star Belgrade were hardly anyone’s favorites to
win that season’s edition of the Champions Cup.

Italy’s
AC Milan had won the two previous editions and beside themselves, the other
potential champions appeared to be the usual suspects of Western European
powers. France’s Olympique Marseille, under controversial President Bernard
Tapie, had spent and spent for the previous few seasons for their goal of
European Glory. In fact they had just enrolled Red Star Belgrade’s jewel in the
crown, Dragan Stojkovic.

Diego
Maradona’s Napoli, West (soon to be unified) Germany’s Bayern Munich, Real
Madrid and Porto were the other contenders for this prestigious trophy.

Many
observers had forgotten that Red Star (containing some of the current crop) had
given AC Milan its greatest scare and hardest test on their way to triumph in
the first of their Champions Cups in 1989.

The
sides had been drawn in the second round of the 1988/89 edition. Red Star had
earned a creditable (1-1) draw in the first leg at Milan.

The
second leg is remembered for the thick fog that potentially saved Milan from
elimination. On November 9th, Red Star hosted Milan in Belgrade and
were leading (1-0) and had them on the ropes when the Referee abandoned the
match due to the fog. The match was replayed the following day and despite a
better performance from Milan, they could only muster another (1-1) against
such a talented Red Star squad. The match went on penalty kicks and Milan saved
themselves via a penalty kick shoot-out. To many observers that Red Star squad
has been equal if not better than that great AC Milan side.

The
genesis of this current Red Star squad could be traced back to a few seasons
before that. In 1986, with Velibor
Vasovic at the helm, Red Star welcomed Dragan Stojkovic (nicknamed Piksi) from
Radnicki Nis.

He
would go on to play a key role in establishing Red Star’s dominance in the
following years that included the League title in 1988.

The
side already contained goalkeeper Stevan Stojanovic for a number of years. Defender
Slobodan Marovic joined the same year as Stojkovic from Osijek.

By
the following year (1987), Refik Sabanadzovic (from Zeljeznicar) and Robert
Prosinecki (from Dinamo Zagreb) joined the squad.

The
new additions were helpful in the League title win of 1988. The young Robert
Prosinecki also stood out that season by helping the U-20 National Team to win
the World Cup in Chile in the Fall of 1987.

Photo
From: World Soccer, December 1990

(Robert Prosiencki)

After
the League win Vasovic stepped aside and Branko Stankovic was appointed as the
new manager in the summer of 1988.

He
would not last the season and would be replaced with Dragoslav Sekularac.

Despite
The arrivals, Red Star did not win the League title that season, but their
encounters with AC Milan had many taking notice on their key players most
notably Stojkovic.

In
the middle of that season (1988/89), Red Star welcomed the unexpected arrival
of Miodrag Beloidedic. The Romanian International libero had fled his country
and sought asylum in Yugoslavia.

Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 28, May 1991

(Dejan Savicevic)

Dragoslav
Sekularac maintained his coaching position for the 1989/90 season and secured
the League and Cup double in 1990 in Dragan Stojkovic’s final season.

This
end of the season would be overshadowed with a number of incidents on the field
of play that would give an indication on the Political State of the Nation.

The
momentum for the impending break-up of the Nation, that included various ethnic
Nationalities, was gaining steam.

There
had been a number of hints. When the Yugoslavian National Team played a
Friendly in Zagreb vs. Holland on June 3rd 1990, just before the
World Cup, the largely Croatian home crowd had jeered the National Anthem.

In
addition, the fans had booed every time a Red Star Belgrade player had touched
the ball.

Just
weeks prior on May 13th (before a Red Sar-Dinamo Zagreb match), there
had been the well-documented incident involving Zvonimir Boban. The Dinamo
Zagreb (and Croatian) midfielder had kicked a policeman who was striking a
Dinamo Zagreb supporter.

This
act became a symbol of Croatia’s defiance and desire for Independence and a
sign of things to come.

A
few months into the new season (1990/91) on October 17th , a not-yet
Independent Croatian National Team played an International match against the
USA (2-1 win), to further highlight the impending division.

On
the Playing front, in the Fall of 1990, Red Star appeared weaker without their
stand bearer Stojkovic. A number of key arrivals would compensate the loss of
Stojkovic and play a significant role in that memorable season on the field (as
well unforgettable off the field).

Future
International Vladimir Jugovic arrived back to Red Star after having spent a
season on loan at FK Rad, along with striker Ljubisa Milojevic. In addition,
Defender Rade Tosic arrived from Hajduk Split.

The
most significant arrival would be that of midfielder Sinisa Mihajlovic from
Vojvodina (He would delight the continent into the next decade with his
specialty in free kicks).

Dragoslav
Sekularac had departed after the title win, the new man to lead the squad was
Ljupko Petrovic. He had led Vojvodina to the title in 1989 with Mihajlovic
amongst his squad.

Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 28, May 1991

(Ljupko Petrovic)

Former
Legend Dragan Dzajic served as a technical Director for a side that would
become the best in its history and eclipse the 1979 squad that many regarded as
its best up to that point (that side had reached the UEFA Cup Final and lost to
Borussia Moenchengladbach).

Despite
the loss of Stojkovic, the squad was more than strong enough for domestic
opposition. It was the European adventure that caught the eye of Europe.

In
the First two rounds, Switzerland’s Grasshopers Zurich and Scotland’s Rangers
Glasgow were eliminated with relative ease. The same could be said of their
Quarterfinal opponents Dinamo Dresden of (former East) Germany.

Yugoslavian
National Team were also leading their European Championship qualifying Group by
displaying an attacking Football full of goals, with the Red Star contingent at
the center of it all.

Darko
Pancev was scoring at will at home, Europe and International level.

Miodrag
Beloidedic needed no introduction and was just confirming his status.

Midfielders
Robert Prosinecki and Dejan Savicevic were being touted as future superstars.

They
faced the mighty Bayern Munich in the semifinals of the Champions Cup in April
1991. On April 10th at Munich’s Olympiastadion, Red Star showed they
were the real deal by inflicting a home defeat (2-1) on the powerful Germans
with goals by Pancev and Savicevic.

The
return leg at Belgrade in two weeks time was a much more tense affair as Bayern
needed to get a result.

Mihajlovic
gave Red Star the lead, however, Bayern replied twice in the second half and
nearly took the match to extra time. However, the match ended (2-2) after an
unfortunate Bayern own goal in the last minute.

Red
Star had already done the unthinkable and reached a European Cup Final.

Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 28, May 1991

(Dragisa Binic)

France’s
Olympique Marseille were their opponents in the Final. They had eliminated AC
Milan in the Quarterfinals. The prospects of the Final seemed mouth watering
with two attacking formations fighting it out.

It
was to be a duel between, Jean-Pierre Papin, Chris Waddle and Abedi Pele in one
corner and Prosinecki, Savicevic and Pancev in the other.

Binic,
Beloidedic and Mihajlovic were just as successful with their attempts, as were
Marseille’s next three. The stage was set for Pancev to score form his kick for
the trophy. He scored and Red Star Belgrade were the Champions of Europe.

Their
approach in the Final would be criticized especially after their brilliant
displays throughout the season.

For
Ljupko Petrovic, only the victory at any cost mattered that night and he stated
that ‘tactics dominated the night’.

For
his part, Prosinecki stated that this was ‘one game when the spectacle had to
take second place to the result’ and praised goalkeeper Stevan Stojanovic’s
performance.

Shortly
thereafter it was reported that Yugoslavia National team manager Ivica Osim
might have been partially responsible for the tactics deployed that night.

Petrovic
and Technical Director Dragan Dzajic believed they could not defeat Marseille
on equal terms. They had sought the expertise of Osim with his vast
International experience for a winning strategy.

Miodrag
Beloidecic became the first man to win the Champions Cup with two different
clubs, having won the trophy with Steaua Bucharest in 1986 (also in a penalty
kick shoot-out. In the years to come Savicevic (1994 with AC Milan) and Jugovic
(1996 with Juventus) would join him.

The
euphoria created by Red Star’s victory was short lived, in less than a month on
June 25th, Slovenia and Croatia declared Independence and the Civil
War started. In the next few years this would become the worst war on European
soil since World War II.

In
almost no time, this Great Red Sar squad unraveled. In general, War or no War,
an Eastern Bloc Nation would have been unable to hold onto its stars.

Some
saw an opportunity for more lucrative deals and some had reached the end of
their cycle and took the opportunity to move abroad.

Veteran
goalkeeper Stevan Stojanovic left Red Star after nearly a decade and joined
Belgium’s Royal Antwerp. Refik Sabanadzovic joined Greek side AEK Athens, while
Dragisa Binic joined Slavia Prague.

The
lure of Western Europe even attracted Manager Ljupko Petrovic, who left after
this memorable season to join Spain’s RCD Espanol.

The
biggest transfer of the offseason was that of Robert Prosinecki, who got his
wish and joined Real Madrid. National Team supremo Milan Miljanic had been
planning to set an age limit regulation to stop prized assets like Prosinecki
from leaving, but FIFA and UEFA had already dismissed such practices.

Prosinecki
became one of the youngest Yugoslavian Internationals to leave his Nation (It
must be noted that in the recent past, players were only granted transfers
after services rendered at about age 27-28).

Red
Star’s other two main stars Pancev (Europe’s top goal scorer) and Savicevic
decided to stay at least one more season.

A
somewhat weakened side was now led by new Manager Vladica Popovic. The League
itself was deprived of quality with the departures of Croatian and Slovenian
clubs.

Red
Star did manage to win the League title that following season (1991/92), but
were eliminated in the Champions League in a Group won by Sampdoria.

In
the middle of that season, Slobodan Marovic and Vlada Stosic also jumped ship
by joining IFK Norkopping and Real Mallorca respectively.

But
the biggest clear out occurred during that summer of 1992 and the Great Red
Star squad was completely decimated.

Initially,
Savicevic had been programmed to join AC Milan in 1993, but the intensification
of the civil war (now involving Bosnia-Herzegovina as well) forced the deal to
go through sooner and he joined them a year ahead of schedule.

Darko
Pancev joined cross-town rivals Internazionale Milano.

Vladimir
Jugovic also joined the Serie A and Sampdoria. Likewise, Sinisa Mihajlovic
began his Italian adventure that has lasted in one capacity or another until
today. He joined Yugoslav Manager Vujadin Boskov at AS Roma.

1 comment:

-This was the first and only final in which both teams were fighting for the first ever win of his country in the competition, except the first edition obviously.-That second round of 1988/89 between Red Star and Milan was in my opinion one the most crucial moments in european champions cup, if Milan had been defeated, that great Sacchi team would never exist as european champions (they only won another italian league in 1991/92 with Capello). The fog was crucial, they were losing 1-0 and reduced to 10 men (Virdis was sent-off), the next day the match was repeated from the start. Then they smashed Real Madrid and Steaua Bucuresti. Sometimes great wins pass so close to defeats.